Article 3628 of comp.sys.dec.micro: Newsgroups: comp.sys.dec.micro Path: cs.utk.edu!emory!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!howland.reston.ans.net!pipex!warwick!bsmail!siva.bris.ac.uk!ard From: ard@siva.bris.ac.uk (PDP11 Hacker .....) Subject: Re: LA100-PC Letterprinter aka Decwriter IV looking thingie Message-ID: <23MAR199422005403@siva.bris.ac.uk> News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41 Sender: usenet@info.bris.ac.uk (Usenet news owner) Nntp-Posting-Host: siva.bris.ac.uk Organization: University of Bristol Physics Department References: Date: Wed, 23 Mar 1994 21:00:00 GMT Lines: 121 In article , mfroedge@lunatix.lex.ky.us (Maxwell Froedge) writes... > > >I just purchased a Dec Letterprinter 100 (LA100-PC) akaa some >sort of Decwriter IV variant. Well least it looks like one. It looks like a DECwriter 4, but it sure isn't one (well, the case is the same, but the insides are not - even the PSU is rebuilt to give more power). The LA100 (Letterprinter 100, Letterwriter 100) is a NLQ matrix printer, which performs 2 passes of the head in NLQ mode, and moves the head mechanically (by a solenoid in the carriage) between the 2 passes. It's a nice printer. > >Since I paid $4, it came without docs. I have 2 questions.... > >1 what are the dipswitch settings.... after much >experimentation and push the test button i found out it is >configured for 4800 bps and xon handshaking. i really need hard >ware handshaking instead. OK, from the operator manual (can someone please archive this and put it somewhere - I don't want to type this in again :-)). Looking into the open printer, the left-hand switch is switch A, Right hand is switch B. Rearmost switches are #1, frontmost #8. OK... Baud rates : Baud A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 50 R R R R R 75 L R R R R 110 R L R R R 134.5 L L R R R 150 R R L R R 200 L R L R R 300 R L L R R 600 L L L R R 1200 R R R L R 1800 L R R L R 2400 R L R L R 4800 L L R L R 7200 R R L L R 9600 L R L L R 75/600 R R R R L 75/1200 L R R R L 150/600 R L R R L 150/1200 L L R R L 300/2400 R R L R L 300/4800 L R L R L 600/2400 R L L R L 600/4800 L L L R L Parity : 7 bit 8 bit A6 A7 mode mode Space None R R Mark None L R Even Even R L Odd Odd L L Data bits # bits A8 8 R 7 L Switch B1 : R - restraint mode. Uses pin 11 (?) as a busy output. This signal turns off when the buffer is nearly full. L - Speed control mode. Dunno about this, and you probably don't want it :-) switch B2 R - No modem control L - Use modem control lines. Dunno quite what this does. Switch B3/B4 - Paper fault. Action B3 B4 Stop printing R R drop DTR L R (after CD dropped) drop DTR R L send break L L switch B5 : R - coded disconnect off L - coded disconnect on. You certainly want this off switch B6 : R - XON/XOFF off L - XON/XOFF on. Switch B7 : R - attempt to print character with parity error L - replace char with parity error with solid block Switch B8 - write computer selectable features into the EAROM. > >2. Dos this thing support graphics? I have two font modules, >gothic and courier. I think it does. I'm not sure how to use them, and it may only be available in some versions of the printer firmware. > >3. (so I can't count) It appears to have the left hand return >position messed up... it prints only half of the first >character... is there a adjustment? Yes, but don't ask me where it is :-). Seriously, look at the carriage left stop adjustment (left side of the main printer frame). > >thanks in advance.... > >max -tony Bristol University takes no responsibility for the views expressed in this posting. They are the personal views of the user concerned. Article 3630 of comp.sys.dec.micro: Newsgroups: comp.sys.dec.micro Path: cs.utk.edu!gatech!howland.reston.ans.net!agate!ihnp4.ucsd.edu!pacbell.com!uop!csus.edu!netcom.com!carln From: carln@netcom.com (Carl D. Neiburger) Subject: Re: LA100-PC Letterprinter aka Decwriter IV looking thingie Message-ID: Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest) References: Date: Thu, 24 Mar 1994 05:49:55 GMT Lines: 30 Maxwell Froedge asked three questions about the LA100. I can only answer one of them: >2. Dos this thing support graphics? I have two font modules, >gothic and courier. DEC dot matrix printers support a "sixel" graphic format that is not used by other printer companies but is common to DEC. Essentially, the top six pins of the printhead are fired in pattern corresponding to a number between 0 and 63, with the top pin being the "least significant digit." To avoid sending non-printing or other special characters to the printer, the values 0 to 63 are offset by 63 decimal (3F hex). Thus, a question mark is a graphic space, an @ is a 1 (top dot), an A a 2 (second dot), a B a 3 (top two dots) etc. You enter graphics mode by sending P q to the printer. You exit graphics mode by sending \ A dollar sign is a graphic carriage return. A hyphen is a graphic new line character. Graphic code can be compressed by using a repeat code. The format is an exclamation mark followed by a series of ASCII characters representing a decimal number followed by the character to be repeated. Thus, the sequence !100B would repeat a sequence of the top two dots 100 times. The maximum decimal value for a repeat sequence is 65535. Hope this helps. -- Carl Neiburger ( carln@netcom.com )